Abstract：
Nanoimprinting large-area structures, especially high-density features like meta lenses, poses challenges in achieving defect-free nanopatterns. Conventional high-resolution molds for nanoimprinting are often expensive, typically constructed from inorganic materials such as silicon, nickel (Ni), or quartz. Unfortunately, replicated nanostructures frequently suffer from breakage or a lack of definition during demolding due to the high adhesion and friction at the polymer-mold interface. Moreover, mold degradation after a limited number of imprinting cycles, attributed to contamination and damaged features, is a common issue. In this study, a disruptive approach is presented to address these challenges by successfully developing an anti-sticking nanocomposite mold. This nanocomposite mold is created through the co-deposition of nickel atoms and low surface tension polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanoparticles via electroforming. The incorporation of PTFE enhances the ease of polymer release from the mold. The resulting Ni-PTFE nanocomposite mold exhibits exceptional lubrication properties and a significantly reduced surface energy. This robust nanocomposite mold proves effective in imprinting fine, densely packed nanostructures down to 100 nm using thermal nanoimprinting for at least 20 cycles. Additionally, UV nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) is successfully performed with this nanocomposite mold. This work introduces a novel and cost-effective approach to reusable high-resolution molds, ensuring defect-reduction production in nanoimprinting.
摘要：
纳米压印大面积结构，尤其是像元透镜这样的高密度特征，在实现无缺陷纳米图案方面提出了挑战。用于纳米压印的常规高分辨率模具通常很昂贵，通常由无机材料如硅构成，镍(Ni),或者石英.不幸的是,由于在聚合物-模具界面处的高粘附性和摩擦,在脱模期间,复制的纳米结构经常遭受破裂或缺乏清晰度。此外，在有限数量的压印循环后，模具降解，归因于污染和损坏的功能，是一个共同的问题。在这项研究中,通过成功开发抗粘纳米复合材料模具，提出了一种破坏性的方法来解决这些挑战。这种纳米复合材料模具是通过电铸共沉积镍原子和低表面张力聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)纳米颗粒而产生的。PTFE的加入增强了聚合物从模具中释放的容易性。所得Ni-PTFE纳米复合材料模具表现出优异的润滑性能和显著降低的表面能。这种强大的纳米复合材料模具被证明有效地压印精细，使用热纳米压印至少20个循环,致密堆积的纳米结构低至100nm。此外,用这种纳米复合材料模具成功地进行了UV纳米压印光刻(UV-NIL)。这项工作为可重复使用的高分辨率模具引入了一种新颖且具有成本效益的方法，确保纳米压印中的缺陷减少生产。
